Yahoo and Ubuntu Deal on search Engines

Among the changes to Ubuntu 10.04 is that Google will lose its place to Yahoo as the Firefox standard search engine. Canonical attributes it to financial reasons.

On the Ubuntu developers' mailing list, Rick Spencer announced "two small but important changes" to Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx." Ubuntu's Firefox browser will now show a choice of search engines in the upper right corner of the browser, at least for Google and Yahoo. Other potential candidates such as Amazon, Wikipedia and Ask.com don't have the same deal set for them.

The change accompanies another decision by Canonical, that Yahoo will become the default search engine. The switch also applies to upgrades for users who previously had Google as the default.

The reason is simple: Yahoo will pay Canonical for each search using their engine, income from which will then flow into Ubuntu's further development. Spencer emphasized in his announcement that users who prefer a different search engine can enable it with two easy mouse clicks.

Yahoo and Microsoft yesterday announced plans of a joint venture to challenge the search engine giant Google. The plans include Yahoo search running on Microsoft's "Bing" technology. In return, Yahoo will handle service support for both companies' premium customers.

Comments

Google is not a bicon of freedom

AL

For those who cherish freedom and have google accounts.
Google has all of your e-mails, some pictures, knows what do you read in RSS, has access to your documents (googledocs). if your mobile smart phone has gps then it can give away your position on the map and share it with others. It knows what are you searching for on the web.
HMMMM, so it knows to whom you speak, what you are speaking about, what are your preferences and where you are. During USSR times KGB did not have such capability, I think it is food for thought. If such capable company falls into wrong hand it will spell the end of the freedom.
By using yahoo (which uses bing for search) you can at least not disclose all of your info to Google, thus making it less all knowing.
I am Ununtu fan and long time user and if this deal will keep it afloat and will fund more freedom for my pc and applications I use, then why not. If it will make ubuntu less free, then we all have a choice of other distribution and ubuntu will die out.

@ nix (Jan 29, 2010 3:10am GMT):
By using Yahoo! search you are not funding Ubuntu. You are mainly funding - and supporting - Microsoft.

@ Kojak.T (Jan 29, 2010 3:26am GMT)
Helping Microsoft does not keep a bit of balance. On the contrary, it increases the imbalance, in favour of a monopolistic and extremely unethical bad company.

Myself (again)

Next steps

Next steps in this process:
1) Canonical makes Bing the default engine in Ubuntu/Firefox
and
2) Canonical sells itself to Novell.

Everybody has its price...

part II

Kojak.T

oops, cut off some text,

I wanted to say additionally, to this move, that it might not be all that bad as it keeps a bit of a balance between the big guys. I like Google, but one can only guess if it becomes too big and important to fail .... we've been there a few times before.

Yahoo for Google???

Kojak.T

I really don't like this move, as Google is superior to Yahoo. Funding is important, yes I know, but being true to choosing the better solutions is too. I'm afraid this might fall into the wrong for many. (seeing the first strong reaction already, which I don't agree with either though. A preferred search engine in default settings won't kill the freedom of choice at all and for sure doesn't take away from the quality of the total product.) But nevertheless, I can see how some might see this as a slap in the face. For me it won't change anything but I hope lessons to be learnt form it, that money is not the only thing, except very important. Some might see this as loss of integrity. Canonical, you are doing a great job, but don't stray your roots. Keep true to your foundation in building solid solutions, and help make Linux more popular. I'm still a fan. And please Linux users, don't bash one at the first side step without seeing the bigger picture.

Every search supports ubuntu - awesome

nix

So by using yahoo search I help fund ubuntu?
Count me in!

Treason!

Myself

Yahoo! is in bed with Microsuck, and Ubuntu is getting on the wagon...
I'm leaving Ubuntu! Fuck Canonical! Fact is, nobody *needs* them!
They did a good job helping to popularize Linux on the desktop, but this move has no justification whatsoever. It amounts to bringing up a child only to murder it later.